The ‘Europeanization’ of public policy: The impact of European integration on Greek environmental policy

This paper examines the relationship between European and domestic policy and the tensions which have accompanied it in the case of Greek environmental policy. The contribution is clearly part of the broader discussion concerning, firstly, the impact of European integration on national policies (one aspect of the so‐called Europeanization) and secondly, the ability of national political systems to follow diverting patterns of action on the basis on ‘national priorities’ or ‘preferences’. The prevailing view that European integration continually limits the nation‐state's ability to act seems on the basis of our analysis to undervalue the ability of local actors to imaginatively adapt ‘supranational’ decisions to local conditions, thus complicating the relationship between European and domestic policies.